thompson



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. O. THOMPSON.

SHOW BOX.

Patentd Oct. 6, 1885.

7 %AMMVM 7 .9

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

W. O. THOMPSON.

No. 327,838. Patented Oct. 6, 1885,

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lJ'NiTnn STATES PATENT ()rrrcn.

WALTER o. THOMPSON, or BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM G. HOWARD, on NEWYORK, N. Y.

SHOW-BOX.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,838, dated October6, 1885.

Application filed April 28, 1885. Serial No. 163,692.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWALTER O. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Show-Boxes, fullydescribed and represented in the following specification and theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to a box which is designed and adapted for thestorage and exhibition of gloves, laces, ruching, embroidery, edging,cards of buttons, and a great variety of other classes of goods which itis desirable should be put up in such form for the retail trade thatthey will be protected from dust and prevented from becoming soiled byhandling and yet be in convenient form for exhibition to customers.

It is the object of the invention to provide a box of this characterwhich can be easily and cheaply produced, and in which a variety ofdifferent articles or a number of varieties of the same class of goodscan be stored in such manner that the whole can be exposed for theinspection of a customer with very little trouble and without thenecessity of handling the goods, and thus necessarily soiling them to agreater or less extent.

To that end the invention consists in a box having the peculiarities ofconstruction which will now be fully explained, and particularly pointedout in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa perspective view of the box with the cover removed. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same, showing the cover removed and the trays drawn out soas to expose all of the contents. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section ofthe same, taken upon the line a; x of Figs. 2 and 5. Fig. 4 is a similarview showing the trays slid back into the body and the cover on. Fig. 5is a horizontal section taken upon the line so a: of Fig. 3, and Fig.6is a cross-section taken upon the line 00 x of Fig. 4..

Referring to the drawings, it is to be understood that the box thereinshown consists of a rectangular body, A, the bottom, sides, and one endof which are rigidly united at the corners in the usual manner, theother end, a, being disconnected from the sides and hinged (N0 model.)

to the bottom so as to be capable of turning down to the position shownin Fig. 1, or up to the position shown in Fig. 4:. This body is providedwith an ordinary cover, B, the flange b of which fits over the sides andends of the body in the usual manner, so as to hold the end a in itsraised position, as shown in Fig. 4.

The body thus constructed is provided with a number of trays, o d e, ofsufficient depth to receive the articles which the box is intended tocontain. The upper one of these trays,c,may fit loosely into the body A,so as to be capable of 'removal, but it will preferably be permanentlysecured to the body-as by pasting its sides and end to the sides and endof the bodyand, if preferred, this upper tray may consist simply of abottom and one end, the bottom being secured to the sides and end of thebody. The space beneath the upper tray, 0, is divided by a horizontalpartition, f, thereby forming two compartments for the reception of thetrays d 6. These trays fit loosely into the body, and are arranged so asto be moved in and out.

The horizontal partition f is provided with a slot or opening, 9,through which passes a tape or cord, h, one end of which is secured tothe inner end of the tray (Z,while its other end is secured to the innerend of the tray 6, as best shown in Fig. 3. The cord or tape 71. is ofsuch length, and the slot 9 is so arranged, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4,that the lower tray, e, can be withdrawn a short distance from the bodywithout moving the tray d, but that any further movement of the tray 6will operate to also withdraw the tray d.

The manner of using the box thus constructed is as follows: \Vhen it isdesired to close the box, so as to protect the contents, the trays d 6will be slid into the body, as shown in Fig. 1, and the end a turned upagainst the ends of the trays and the cover B placed on the body, asshown in Fig. 4. When it is desired to exhibit the contents of the box,the cover B will be removed, which will expose the contents of the uppertray, 0. By then turning down the end a, as shown in Fig. 1, and pullingupon the lower tray, e, for which purpose it will be provided with aloop, as it, it can readily be withdrawn from the body untilthe tape orcord h is taut, and this will expose the contents of the lower tray, 6.By

then continuing to draw upon the loop 7c the tape h will cause the trayd to follow the tray 6 until both are arrested by the arrival of the 5tape h at the end of the slot g, as shown in Figs. 2and 3. When theparts are in this po sition, the contents of all the trays will be exposed and brought into close relation, so as to be examined and comparedwithout the ne- 0 cessity of handling, and this, as will readily beseen, is effected with very little trouble or loss of time.

In conclusion, it is to be remarked that, although the box shown in thepresent case is provided with but three of the trays, it will readily beseen that the number of trays may be increased without departing fromthe invention, it being only necessary to provide the body with one ormore additional partitions,f, and connect the tray d to the one above itin the same manner that it is connected to the tray 6. In some cases,also, the tray cand the hinged end a may be omitted, and in such casethe body A may be a simple tubular sheath, closed at one end and open atthe other, or, if preferred, open at both ends.

The various parts of the box herein described will usually be made ofpasteboard; but they may be 'rnade of any other suitable material.

What I claim is 1. The combination, with the body A, pro- IVALTER G.THOMPSON.

Vitnesses:

JAMES A. HovEY, T. H. PALMER.

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